Australian rock star Andrew Picouleau has died after a battle with a “serious” illness.
His The Metronomes bandmate Alister Webb confirmed the news in a post on Facebook on October 16.
“It is with deep sadness and profound heartbreak that we find ourselves posting the news that Andrew Picouleau, gifted bass player, musical creative and wonderful singer, passed away this week after a long illness,” Webb said in a statement.
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No further details about the illness were revealed.
“Ash Wednesday and I have been making music with Andrew on and off for over 40 years.
“Every time we reassembled after our regular sabbaticals (20 years at one stage), the conversations instantly flowed, the ideas likewise.
“Whatever the musical result — and we had our moments! — the joy of creating something together with Ash and Andrew never diminished over that time.”
He wrote that it was hard to believe Wednesday and Picouleau would not be “getting together again to pull something new out of the air again.
“It seemed like it would go on forever.”
Webb said Picouleau was “one of the smartest, most amiable and intelligent individuals I’ve come across in my life”.
“I always looked forward to the video hookups the three of us had,” he said.
“Three separate souls, but when we were in the same space, we just…well, blended. I know Ash is feeling this as painfully as I am.”
Webb formed The Metronomes in 1979 in Melbourne, alongside Picouleau as bass player and Wednesday on synth.
Webb went on to upload a six-minute tribute to honour his friend on YouTube.
Wednesday also shared a tribute to Facebook, writing: “My dear friend Andrew Picouleau has left this world. I know he’s been ill for a long time, but now he’s not there at all. I feel the loss.
“I’ve been remembering the good times we had together. We had plenty of those.
“And the innovative music that we and Alister Webb played with and recorded as The Metronomes. There was plenty of that too, working together on and off over forty years.”
Along with The Metronomes, Picouleau played bass for Dave Graney and the Coral Snakes, and the Sacred Cowboys.